What a week!

During my time in Peru, I didn’t expect to have a wonderful week with International Crusades in Lima. In 1998, God permitted me to participate in International Crusades in Miami. It was amazing to meet brothers and sisters in Christ from different countries. We are a big family of God. Working in missions is a blessing, however, to work in your own country and neighborhood is not the same.

The last week of July, 18 churches from Lima received 47 people from the USA, 24 from Ecuador, 2 from Chile, 2 from Argentina, and 6 from Brazil. It was wonderful to share the Gospel with brothers and sisters from these countries. I think this kind of ministry helps the local believers to lose their timidity.

Eight Americans made up the team at Evangelical Baptist Church Ebenezer in Miraflores, Lima. This is my home church and we attend here at the moment. I helped the team as interpreter. During the first sermon on Sunday morning, God spoke to my heart and showed me the importance of sharing the gospel in my own neighborhood. For me, to share the gospel in other places is easier than in my own neighborhood, because people know me and I know them. So, to feel embarrassed is easy in this circumstance. However, God calls us to share the gospel first in Jerusalem, which is in our own family, neighborhood, and city. This International Crusades taught me to do so.

On Monday, I visited my neighborhood with two of the Americans. Some of my neighbors were not at home, others were not ready for the Gospel, others didn’t want to change their religion although we didn’t preach about religion, just the message of Jesus; but God permitted that three persons in my neighborhood accepted Jesus Christ as their Savior. It was amazing!

The next days in the morning and afternoon, I was in different locations visiting families, homes, and the prison with part of the team. From Monday through Friday we also had evening services. At the end of the week, Ebenezer counted around 100 new believers and all the 18 churches in Lima together got over 1600 professions of faith. Saturday, we had a closing service with all the churches and missionaries. It was a wonderful experience to sing songs with people from other languages and cultures. It made me think of how it will be in the presence of God with people from different nations united by One Lord and Savior. Only God, our Creator can do this!

The team with some church members

Sunday morning we had to say good-bye to our new friends, which was not easy but they had to go back home, family and friends are waiting for them. We hope to see them again someday. The world is getting smaller with all the technology and new ways of communication, and maybe we can have another time sharing the Gospel together. The harvest was good and the discipleship got started. This experience is unforgettable; God blessed me that I was able to share His message of love with the people close to my home, and in my city. I believe every Christian ought to do it, although the prophet is not appreciated in his/her own region, however, God send us to do it and to share the Gospel with others. I felt very blessed, I think it was not a coincidence, God wanted to teach me that someday He will ask me for the people around me that I didn’t share the message of salvation. It is a big responsibility and we need to do it. May God help us to share His message everywhere.